


The Sabbatical

by JadeSelena



Category: The Order (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25568071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeSelena/pseuds/JadeSelena
Summary: Prompt by Enya. It's the anniversary of Cassie's death and Hamish is AWOL in the middle of an emergency. Vera is not pleased. Randall is not playing. Somewhere in the near future. Follows canon. Some angst but with payoff.
Relationships: Hamish Duke/Vera Stone, Randall Carpio/Gabrielle Dupres
Comments: 6
Kudos: 60





	The Sabbatical

**Author's Note:**

> I think this is the fastest I've ever written a story but I had no choice...
> 
> The lovely Enya left a comment on 'The Road to Hell,' sharing a plot bunny she had and asking me (or anyone else) to bring it to fruition. And at first I was all 'Nah. I want to do a follow-up to the finale and I'm already stupid behind on my last Stargate story and Rookie Blue chapter and now just isn't the time.' But then the plot bunny showed up at my door and beat the crap out of *my* plot bunnies and is now holding them hostage so here we are.
> 
> It's maybe less angsty than my usual stuff and I actually really enjoyed writing it, so thank you, Enya!
> 
> Still don't own them.

Vera descended upon Mr. Carpio the moment she saw him enter the antechamber. "Where is Mr. Duke? Everyone was told to be here thirty minutes ago."

Once he'd recovered from the sudden accosting (let it never be said that Vera Stone couldn't intimidate the shit out of even _werewolves_ ), Randall put a hand to his chest in feigned indignation. "I mean, I know I'm not your favorite but would it kill you to _pretend_ to be happy to see me for once?" Tried to distract her with a cheeky, "By the way, I thought mothers weren't _supposed_ to have favorites?"

"Mothers aren't supposed to engage in homicidal fantasies involving their children, _either_." Good thing she wasn't his mother…

 _Ouch._ Sensing she wouldn't be distracted he switched gears. "I'm not Hamish's keeper. Did you try to call him?"

Of course she'd tried to call him. As soon as she'd gotten word from Council that there was a storm brewing… "I'm not an _idiot_. He's not answering." And the last time _that_ happened he'd been taken hostage by that socialist nutjob Praxis leader.

The concern written across her features made him reconsider his silence. "He's fine, okay? He's just taking a sabbatical."

Vera felt her ire rise; blamed it entirely on his absence and _not_ on the fact that she'd been worried for nothing. "One does not _take a sabbatical_ from the Order, Mr. Carpio. Need I remind you of what happens when the Order ceases to function? The world _ends_."

Randall rolled his eyes at the hyperbole. "I'm sure it'll survive one day without him."

"Well, that's not your call to _make_ ," she snapped, resisting the urge to remove the insolence from his face by force. "Nor is it _his_. You may find this hard to believe but I don't normally summon the entire chapter because I'm _bored_." What she wouldn't pay to even remember what bored _felt like_.

Noticing the disciples rushing around frantically – his girlfriend amongst them – he realized that the situation might actually be serious; explained somewhat sheepishly, "It's the anniversary of Cassie's death."

Vera stared at him blankly.

 _Seriously?_ "Cassie? His girlfriend before…" Randall trailed off at her warning eyebrow. "Do you two ever, like, _talk_ or do you just…" This time he stopped _himself_ , afraid of conjuring up a mental image he could never get rid of. "You know what? Never mind. You guys do you."

It was her turn to roll her eyes, though she did drag him into the reliquary before he could say something not meant to be general knowledge. "I don't recall him ever mentioning a Cassie."

Unsurprising if she still wouldn't acknowledge they were in a relationship… "Not 'a' Cassie; _the_ Cassie. She's the one that recruited him into the Knights. Got him all 'hided' up."

Her heels clicked as she paced the room, processing the information. "A werewolf. And she died."

Randall gave a solemn nod. "In battle. She had Timber before Lilith."

"I see," she hummed, reclaiming her spot before him.

"Do you really?" There was practically a bubble over her head that read 'Does not compute,' though he didn't know whether it was referring to Hamish's persistent grief or her own jealousy.

Ignoring his head tilted in amusement, she forced a casual shrug. "You're right – I don't. Not why he would allow it to interfere with his responsibilities, anyway."

Randall sighed at the disparaging tone. "He has a whole thing, Vera. Does it every year."

Vera disregarded the pang in her chest. "He can postpone it. This is kind of important."

"Um… he _can't_ postpone it," Randall countered wryly. "Kinda what an anniversary _is_. You would know that if…"

"That was _not_ a suggestion, Mr. Carpio." And she wanted to hear his opinion on her personal life about as much as she wanted to have her magic stripped away again… "Call him and get him back here. _Now_."

Even if he'd _wanted_ to… "If he's not answering _you_ what makes you think he's going to answer _me_? His phone is probably off."

That gave her pause, though she wasn't sure if it was because of the meaning behind it or the ridiculousness of the excuse. "You seem to know where he is," she spelled out in a hiss. "Go. Get. Him."

Randall declined with a shake of his head. "You want him here? _You_ go get him." Leaning in, he gave her a pointed look. "Seems maybe you should have a little chat while you're at it?"

Vera glared at the doorway long after he'd disappeared through it, wondering (and not for the _first_ time) why in the hell she kept him around… The chiming of her cell broke her from her angry trance, and she pulled it from her back pocket to see he'd texted her two addresses. Returning to the antechamber she tracked down Miss Dupres.

Gabrielle finished giving the assembled group their orders before turning to Vera. "Grand Magus?"

"There's something I need you to do." Vera was in the process of holding up her phone when it chimed again. And again.

_Really?_

_You're going to send_ _**my** _ _girlfriend after_ _**your** _ _…_

Scanning the crowded room but unable to locate him, Vera began typing her response, eyes narrowed because she knew he was deliberately baiting her. She was just finishing when his smartass conclusion appeared on her screen.

_Wayward wolf?_

She growled under her breath as she smashed 'Send' on _I have preparations to oversee, Mr. Carpio. I can't just leave._

_If you've trained your people half as well as you say you have…_

The text had come far too quickly for him to have _not_ predicted her answer and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. She settled for a little jab of her own. _**Our**_ _people, Mr. Carpio, lest you forget._ Imagining his sighed, 'I wish I _could_ ,' she smiled wickedly, certain the coward could see it from wherever he'd holed up.

_Everything will be ready by the time you get back_

_Yeah yeah don't remind me_

"Magus?" Gabrielle prompted, a hint of impatience bleeding into her voice.

Vera held up a hand for the Medicum to wait, trying to come up with a rebuttal that didn't make her either a shitty teacher or a liar or _worse_ : expendable _._ Not an easy task – a barrage of new messages had appeared and she was _still_ thinking.

_Stop being such a control freak_

_Stop using your control freakishness as an excuse to avoid this_

_Go get your man_

Her jaw was clenched by the time she'd read all three and her fingers flew across the keys. _Awful brave from behind the safety of a screen, Disciple…_

_You can punish me later_

Vera lifted an eyebrow.

_I didn't mean that the way it sounded_

_Read?_

_Don't tell Gabby_

_Or Hamish_

_I hate you_

_Please just go_

Only by sheer force of will was Vera able to refrain from laughing… Returning to the matter at hand, she sighed in resignation before addressing the disciple actually in front of her. "I'll take care of it myself. You're in charge while I'm gone. I expect all preparations to be completed upon my return. Coordinate with the other chapters and call me if there's a problem."

Gabrielle gaped – part shock, part panic – as Vera started towards the reliquary. "Yes, Magus. Of course, Magus."

"And Miss Dupres?" Vera threw liltingly over her shoulder. "Hit Mr. Carpio for me when he comes out of hiding?"

" _Ugh_ ," Gabby groaned, stalking off to find her boyfriend. "What did that idiot do _now_?"

* * *

Vera cursed under her breath, knowing that if his werewolf senses hadn't announced her presence, the laboring to make her way through sand in heels certainly had.

Hamish went through so many different emotions, seeing her, that he couldn't even identify them all. He did know he wasn't quite as happy as he normally was, though… "What are you doing here?"

"There's an emergency," she grunted as she finally reached him. "I think you're aware I don't appreciate my summonses going unanswered." Despite the reprimand her tone was light.

"Sorry – my phone's been off all day." He moved to stand but her hand on his shoulder held him down. Not knowing if it was for balance or because she intended to join him, he shrugged out of his sweater and gave it to her to do with what she would. Hated how relieved he was when she laid it out next to him. "How did you know where I was?"

With as much grace as she could muster she lowered herself to the ground, tucking her legs in beside her. "Mr. Carpio. Question is, why didn't _you_ tell me?" She understood it wasn't something that came up in casual conversation – the only reason he knew about her daughter that the damned wolves shared _everything_ – but they'd been together just the night before.

Even sitting on a beach, horribly out of place in her black suit, trench coat, and heels, she managed to look at ease and dignified… Burying his admiration, he turned his attention back to the water. "Would you have even noticed if you didn't need me back at the temple?"

The petulance immediately set her nerves on edge. "Of course… I'm depressingly sober." Though given the incantation she needed to perform that was probably for the best…

Hamish closed his eyes against the pain. Opened them again once they were clear. "I miss her."

Okay, so she probably deserved that. And contrary to popular belief, she wasn't _actually_ a robot… Drawing from her own experience, she dropped her voice to a soothing whisper. "It'll get better with time."

Her reaction (or lack thereof) only hurt _more._ "It's worse this year, actually."

There was no doubt in Vera's mind now that he was _aiming_ to wound, though she couldn't imagine why. Refusing to show he'd succeeded, she said nothing.

"I miss having someone who encouraged me to be who I wanted to be instead of who I had to be," he continued, focusing on the sand running through his fingers. "Someone to come home to every day, who I could touch without discretion and tell I loved her and know she would say it back. Share my dreams and fears with without worrying about being judged and who treated me like more than a dirty little secret or a convenient distraction."

As much as the wistful delineation of all the things she _wasn't_ felt like a knife in Vera's chest, him acting like it was beyond his control was ice in her veins. "Campus is teeming with eligible women, Mr. Duke," she advised blithely. "You just need to get out more."

Hamish looked at her, trying to figure out if she truly didn't get it or she was just _doing her damndest_ _not to._ Her face was completely void of emotion, though, and he turned away before she could notice he was near tears. "You know what I realized today, Vera? That if something were to happen to you I'd have nowhere to visit. Not where we went on our first date or concert in the park or weekend away. Where we danced under the stars and made love in the moonlight or where we'd go just to get away from it all for a while." He laughed without mirth. "Hell, we've never even _been_ to a restaurant much less have one we call ours."

Her heart clenched at the tremor in his voice. "You know I'm too busy for those things, what with having a school to administer and the Order to run." Not to mention the appearance of impropriety at being involved with one of her students.

" _Bullshit_ ," he scoffed, leaning forward so she couldn't see his struggle. "You don't _want_ it to be more than it is or you'd make an effort. But it's far too late, Vera; I was already half in love with you when we defeated Coventry. And I have no idea _why_ because you're nothing like her. She was affectionate and kind and open and she ruled with a velvet glove rather than an iron fist."

Vera swallowed the sudden lump in her throat; willed away the stinging in her eyes. "She sounds like a lovely person. I can see why you miss her."

" _Damn it, Vera!"_ Head in his hands, he watched the sand below him darken. "I _wish_ you were nothing like her. Because she was also a leader, and a teacher, and a fighter. She was selfless and fearless and so dedicated to the cause she wouldn't hesitate to give her life for it. And she _did_."

Suddenly his lashing out made sense. She was moving to comfort him – to do whatever she had to to ease his pain – when he faced her and she froze.

"I can't do this anymore," he whispered hoarsely, holding her gaze. "I am absolutely terrified of losing you and I don't even _have_ you. I can't keep putting everything I have into this only to get nothing in return but the promise of more grief than anyone will believe I have a right to."

Vera's brow knitted in confusion even as her chest tightened and her hackles rose. "Are you giving me an ultimatum?"

Chuckling sadly, Hamish avoided her penetrating stare in favor of the water. "No. I'm just being honest." Maybe if she didn't have to suspect everything of being a power play – insulate herself against everyone because there was always _someone_ trying to take her down – things could have been different between them. _She_ would've been different…

She wasn't sure she believed him, or if it would change anything if she did… Taking a steadying breath she stood, brushed herself off and began the slow trek back to where she'd parked.

* * *

Hamish sat with his arms around his knees trying to work up the will to move, going back to the temple and facing her again the _last_ things he wanted to do. It wasn't like him to shirk his responsibilities, though, so he forced himself to pick up his sweater.

"I wasn't done with that, Mr. Duke," Vera admonished as she rejoined him.

Glancing up at her in surprise, and an embarrassing amount of relief, he noted that she was minus her coat and shoes but plus her briefcase. He must have been too lost in self-recrimination to sense her approach. "What are you doing?"

Once he'd replaced the sweater Vera sat cross-legged and pulled out her Belgrave University letterhead and a pen. "I'm not the sentimental type," she explained conversationally as she began to write. "It's hard to be when there's far more I'd prefer to forget than remember. And in my position, _especially_ as a woman, it's exponentially more dangerous to show weakness than a lack of preparation or skill. But when you didn't answer your phone earlier, I feared the worst. And I…" Her voice cracked, and she paused in her scribbling to meet his questioning gaze. "Well, I don't want to lose you, either." The admission wasn't near as crippling as she'd expected it to be.

He couldn't take any pleasure from the sentiment when he was sick with guilt for how it had come about. And he certainly didn't want her to feel pressured into it… "It really wasn't an ultimatum, Vera." Even if he'd meant it to be it hadn't been a very _good_ one… The instant she started to walk away he'd realized _he_ couldn't, even if he'd wanted to.

Vera dismissed it with a wave; forced herself to continue before she could give in to the temptation to take the out she was being presented. "You're right – I can, and _should_ , make more of an effort. So _this…_ " Magicking a cut in her thumb, she pressed it to the document. "…Is an I.O.U. When the world is no longer on the brink of collapse you will have me for an entire evening to do as you wish."

Hamish watched, breath caught in his throat, as she tore the paper from the pad; stared at her quizzically – and somewhat warily – when she held it out only to snatch it away at the last second.

"Within reason," she qualified belatedly. "And provided there is no other imminent crisis requiring my attention." Doing a quick run through her mental checklist she tacked on, "And preferably _outside_ Norwich to prevent any damaging rumors; wiping people's memories to protect my personal life is a little too self-serving…"

"Vera?" he interrupted softly, cupping her cheek.

She ignored the impulse to bat him away. "What?"

As adorable as her inability to relinquish control _was_ … " _You're ruining the moment_." He suspected if she'd had time to reflect on it the simple I.O.U. would have been at least two pages long.

" _Oh_ ," she exhaled, letting him take the paper. "I suppose we can discuss…"

Hamish covered her mouth with his own, effectively swallowing the rest of her sentence.

"Mmm." Giving in Vera buried her fingers in his hair and deepened the kiss, doing her best to communicate with actions what she couldn't bring herself to with words. Silently vowed that she would work on that.

After a spell, out of breath and impossibly aroused, he broke away with a haggard sigh. "We should probably get back. World to save."

Vera dug her cell from her pocket to make sure she hadn't missed anything; replaced it as she lay back on the ground. "Knowing those ill-equipped slackers in LA they're still locating the proper ingredients." Mindless of the sand getting in her hair, she tangled a fist in his shirt and tugged him towards her with a devious grin. "I think I can spare a few minutes…"

"A few minutes, hmm?" he growled playfully, his fingertips trailing up under her blouse and over the sensitive area on her ribs.

She squirmed under his touch. "I don't think laughter is the reaction you want right now, Mr. Duke."

Hamish rested his forehead against hers. "Do you think you can call me by my first name, at least in private? It always feels like a reprimand. Or a business transaction."

"No, because it would increase the likelihood I slip up in _public_." She massaged his chest to take the sting out of the denial. Added teasingly, "Maybe I'll find you one of those cutesy pet names for when we're alone. Like Sugar Schnapps or Baby Bitters."

"Of course it would be alcohol-related," he chuckled affectionately, easing away just enough to kiss her.

Humming against his lips, Vera waited for him to break away to shrug, "Well, it _is_ our mutual affinity for liquor that brought us together…"

The offhand comment had him more choked up than could possibly be considered manly.

"Or we could have a code…" Her tone was seductive now as her hands travelled over familiar territory. "Like when I work 'tall glass' into a conversation you'll know I am _definitely_ not thinking of punishment or business." After a beat she purred, "Well, not business, anyway…"

Hamish would never forget the way she'd first invited him into her 'bed' but he was more than a little surprised _she_ hadn't. He still kicked himself for nearly ruining it by robbing her mere hours later… His hands doing a little roaming of their own, he couldn't help but tease, "And you say you're not the sentimental type."

"Shut up," she groused, cheeks flushed, before pulling him back down to _make him_.

Things quickly got heated again, and a sudden thought made him put some distance between them. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but we need to stop."

Vera stared at him, dizzy with desire, until he gestured feebly at their surroundings and comprehension fell like a bucket of ice water. "You're right. I wasn't thinking."

"It's not your fault," he assured her, feeling bad as she sat up abruptly. "It's just… it wouldn't be fair. To either of you." Taking her hand he pulled her to stand with him, then pressed his lips to her palm. "But I will _absolutely_ take a rain check."

"Well, aren't you demanding all of a sudden?" she chastised, bending to gather her belongings. "Give you an inch…"

"I'm gonna give you an inch," he mock-threatened in return, realizing what he'd implied at the exact moment she straightened, eyebrow lifted in amusement. "Yeah… I heard it."

Chuckling at his mortified tone, she gave his cheek a patronizing pat. "It's a good thing you're pretty, Mr. Duke."

Hamish took hold of her wrist and used it to draw her into him. "Thank you." He could only imagine how difficult this was for her, and he was immensely grateful she thought he was worth it.

"Don't thank me; thank Mr. Carpio." The second the words were spoken she regretted them. "Actually, _don't_. I don't need him thinking manipulating me is in any way effective. Or acceptable." Being the 'youngest,' she already let him get away with far more than she should.

Looking into her eyes, his mouth opened of its own accord. "Vera, I…" He was immediately silenced by gentle fingers to his lips.

He would _definitely_ take a mile if she let him, and Vera was shocked to find that the idea wasn't as daunting as it once had been… "I'll see you back at the temple. You start thinking about what you want to do with _that_." She motioned to the paper that had fallen onto his sweater.

"I haven't _stopped_ thinking about it since you gave it to me," he readily admitted. "I'm a proficient multi-tasker. And quite the romantic."

"Well, in that case, Mr. Duke…" Placing a last chaste kiss to his lips she turned to leave. "I'm going to be expecting something _outstanding._ "

Hamish grinned stupidly at her retreating figure; whispered, "You deserve nothing less."

**Author's Note:**

> I know Randall isn't actually the youngest but he *acts* like it and I think Vera definitely sees him as the baby. That whole puppy pictures moment was adorable.
> 
> Angst is more my thing so I hope this wasn't such a bad attempt at romance.


End file.
